UPDATE #2 on LAPU ONE: AN AMERICAN BACKSLIDER IN THE PHILIPPINES

making this movie a reality!

UPDATE ON MY MOVIE:

LAPU ONE: AN AMERICAN BACKSLIDER IN THE PHILIPPINES is a docu-drama on the first astronaut from the Philippines! In real life, the astronaut has not gone into space, but he has said that when he does he will bring a Philippine flag, a picture of his relatives and a rosary. It is from this premise that we depart from reality into my fictionalization:

Aadarshini, a Humanist teacher, addresses a class of children. She tells of her brother Lapu, a Filipino astronaut on the brink of a historic space mission. As he prepares to become the first Filipino in space, his rocket—aptly named Lapu One—carries the weight of Filipino history and ambition. Lapu, a devout Christian, is deeply skeptical of Aadarshini’s secular values.

Her parents gave her up for adoption before Lapu was born. She was raised in America, so he constantly calls her “an American backslider.” She is only now reconnecting with her cultural roots in the Philippines. Aadarshini's method of reconnecting is by becoming a citizen journalist. She videotapes interviews with indigenous people, artists, politicians, and other movers and shakers in her community.

Her brother, slated to be the first Filipino in space, must maintain an appearance of propriety and keeps pushing her camera away. She worries that Lapu’s decision to bring a rosary into space symbolizes a lingering attachment to colonial legacies and anti-scientific thinking. Lapu and Aadarshini have extended zoom, and in person, conversations that are grounded in family bonds and their differing perspectives on faith and science. Aadarshini’s Humanist views challenge her brother's Christian faith, sparking a dialogue on the complexities of Filipino identity shaped by colonization.

We are taken on a series of flashbacks that trace Philippine history, illustrating the cultural tensions woven into the siblings' relationship. -------

Imagine CONTACT meets THE MOSQUITO COAST! Check out the GoFundMe and, if it intrigues, support LAPU ONE: AN AMERICAN BACKSLIDER IN THE PHILIPPINES!

If you have any questions, ask me in the comment section. Or, email me at walkertownmediawerx@gmail.com

The GoFundMe:

http://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-science-and-health-education-to-the-philippines